In this episode of the Contested Ground podcast, hosts Major General (Ret’d) Dr Marcus Thompson and Liam Garman unpack the latest news and events contributing to national security in Australia.

They begin the podcast discussing Exercise Talisman Sabre 2025, including how important these kinds of joint military training activities are for the interoperability between Western nations and the certainty of covert surveillance being carried out by adversaries.

The pair then discuss the recent visit to the People’s Republic of China by Australian Prime Minister Anthony Albanese and the geopolitical tightrope he must be walking between trading with the PRC and the AUKUS military commitments with the United States.

They wrap up the podcast discussing the recent and very public Qantas hack, as well as the potential flow-on impacts of the cyber security breach.

Enjoy the podcast, The Contested Ground team